Greetings from a middle-aged NF newbie =)

[Lovejoy444]

Hi, new family! I'm a 47-year-old (almost 48 ) overweight, out-of-shape woman who is about 7 weeks out from an ACL reconstruction. After receiving piss poor discharge instructions from the hospital about what to do/not do following surgery, I went on a quest to find out how best to recover and get my knee in the best shape possible, in the best time frame possible. That research led to wanting to get the rest of me in the best shape possible as well, 'cause... well... it's hard to rehab a knee that is holding up tons of extra weight, right?

 

I've kinda been stalled w/ exercising because I can't take walks to start easy on myself like most people can, or my knee swells and hurts. Grrrr. I've found some great bodyweight circuits that I'm going to start doing... just as soon as I can pry my ass off whatever chair it happens to be sitting in at any given moment. I'm kinda lacking motivation now. I have several other issues that I'm working on in addition to losing weight/toning up, that interfere with that whole motivation thing, like poor sleep, depression, and some other things that I'm trying to figure out (such as hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, etc.).

 

In any case, these aren't excuses, just reasons. Fatigue and lack of motivation is something I've been struggling with for years, but haven't been able to get a doc to follow up on beyond a few token thyroid tests. In a month or two (when I'll have more $), I'm just gonna order my own damn lab tests, so I can get some answers!

 

Anyway, I'm not whining, just trying to tell you who I am and what I'm working through, in case there are others out there doing the same thing. I'm excited to have joined you all! I'm an old D&D and Cyberpunk nerd from my college days. Nerds are the best people!

 

Good luck to us all!

 

~Laurie

[juliebarkley]

Welcome to the Rebellion!

 

Maybe it would help to make a first challenge that is very easy, so that you know you can succeed if you try. If you can't exercise right now, it could be diet-related, like "I will drink one large glass of water every day". Then you will have something that you succeeded at to be proud of and to build on for the future.

[Lovejoy444]

That's an excellent idea, Julie. Thanks! =) I think I will aim to drink a half gallon each day this week. I make it into the 50s (ounces) pretty regularly, so stretching by one more large glass should be achievable.

 

Wow... cool... I have an achievable goal! You da woman, Julie! LOL

 

=)

Laurie

[Guzzi]

Place-holder post.  I'll be back..  

[Guzzi]

On 04/04/2017 at 5:41 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

Hi, new family! I'm a 47-year-old (almost 48 ) overweight, out-of-shape woman who is about 7 weeks out from an ACL reconstruction. After receiving piss poor discharge instructions from the hospital about what to do/not do following surgery, I went on a quest to find out how best to recover and get my knee in the best shape possible, in the best time frame possible. That research led to wanting to get the rest of me in the best shape possible as well, 'cause... well... it's hard to rehab a knee that is holding up tons of extra weight, right?

 

Ouch!  ACL surgery does not sound like fun!  I feel you 100% on the "piss poor discharge instructions".  I have had several surgeries in the last 5 years and I have had BUGGER ALL real advice or instructions after any of them.  It's like there's a policy of being as vague as possible so that you can't ever turn around and say "You told be it would be ok to do...."

 

You've done the right thing by trying to find out for yourself, and I think it's admirable that it's lead you to want to change and lose weight.  I hope you stick around because it's a great community and I think you'll fit in really well.  

 

Quote

I've kinda been stalled w/ exercising because I can't take walks to start easy on myself like most people can, or my knee swells and hurts. Grrrr. I've found some great bodyweight circuits that I'm going to start doing... just as soon as I can pry my ass off whatever chair it happens to be sitting in at any given moment. I'm kinda lacking motivation now.

 

I know the frustration, but don't be tempted to do anything too early.  That road leads to injury.  (You know that anyway, you're a 47 years old woman.  You have common sense.  Who the Hell am I, telling you what to do, huh?)  

 

Im trying to remember what kinds of things I did to exercise when I couldn't use my legs...  Have you thought about going to the pool, or would that not be allowed?  I remember that I was allowed/encouraged to walk under water.  With my head and shoulders sticking out, not completely submerged.  Obviously.  Though that would have been fun!  I also used the weights machines at the gym, just the arms and chest ones. 

 

It helped me to feel like I was physically doing something to get fitter/recover but in all honesty it probably didn't actually do much.  I would likely have been just as well to wait until I was able to use my legs/knees and just focus on making sure I did my physio religiously.   But I felt like I was doing something, and that kept me sane. 

 

If you want to lose weight then the most important thing isn't exercise, it's what you put in your mouth that counts.  There's an expression round here "you can't out run your fork", and it's true.  You wouldn't believe how few calories you burn through exercise compared with how many you consume.  I would suggest that you take some time now, while you can't really exercise anyway, to really think about your diet and where you could be going wrong. 

 

I'm not saying that exercise isn't important, because it is, but if you make a conscious choice to eat better food then you will lose weight and be healthier as a result.  If you look at it the other way around - exercising and eating poorly, then you would struggle to lose weight and still be at high risk of disease. 

 

Quote

I have several other issues that I'm working on in addition to losing weight/toning up, that interfere with that whole motivation thing, like poor sleep, depression, and some other things that I'm trying to figure out (such as hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, etc.).

 

I was trying to find a particular article that I read about sleep and how our sleep patterns effect us, but I can't find the bloody thing.  This page explains about our sleep cycles, but it's a bit difficult to read.  The upshot of it all is that during the early part of the night we spend a greater portion of each sleep cycle in the really deep sleep that is the key to getting a good nights sleep.  This is when our bodies repair and our brains transfer our memories from electrical to chemical storage.  

 

As the night wears on the amout of time we spend in slight sleep becomes greater and greater, meaning that we spend less time in that deep, restorative sleep.  The interesting thing here is that these rhythms are linked to the time of night, NOT the time you go to sleep.  So the earlier you go to bed, the more better quality sleep you get.  The later you go the less quality sleep you get. 

 

I'm saying this because, although your sleep problems might be linked to other issues, you might still be able to improve the sleep that you get, simply by adopting a good bed time routine and going to bed earlier. I found a big improvement in my sleep just by going to bed half an hour earlier.  Before I did that, I couldn't sleep the whole night through.  I'd end up on the sofa around 2am or 3am, and it took me FOREVER to get off to sleep in the first place.   Now I regularly sleep all night, yaaaay!  

 

Your situation is undoubtedly different to mine but it would be nice to think that you could benefit from it too. 

 

Quote

In any case, these aren't excuses, just reasons. Fatigue and lack of motivation is something I've been struggling with for years, but haven't been able to get a doc to follow up on beyond a few token thyroid tests. In a month or two (when I'll have more $), I'm just gonna order my own damn lab tests, so I can get some answers!

 

Anyway, I'm not whining, just trying to tell you who I am and what I'm working through, in case there are others out there doing the same thing. I'm excited to have joined you all! I'm an old D&D and Cyberpunk nerd from my college days. Nerds are the best people!

 

Good luck to us all!

 

~Laurie

 

I'm going to shut-the-fuck up now, sorry for the saga.  I'm struggling to stay awake (it's 21:10 here) so I'm going to crawl off to bed early tonight.  All that I will say is welcome on board, its good to have you.  If you need to know anything then please just ask.  

 

Some of the things I didn't get around to mentioning are:

The 4 Week Challenges

Create your character (level up game)

Your Epic Quest

Battle logs

Guilds

 

If you want any info about any of these then just holler.  

[Lovejoy444]

Guzzi! You. Are. Fabulous! Thanks for the saga; I didn't mind it at all, because you took the time to address almost every one of my rants and whines. LOL

 

As far as exercising, I'm starting small for two obvious reasons: first, the ACL, and second, it's a helluva lot easier for to develop a new 10-15-minute habit than a 30-60-minute one! My next goal/quest is to do a wee 10-minute wake-up yoga routine. Soon thereafter, I will add in a short bodyweight workout. For both things, I just avoid or adjust the moves that would stress my knee. AND, I can probably start taking short walks very soon! Believe me, short walks will have me out of breath because I'm still a smoker. (Yes, that is on the quest agenda as well, so shhh!)

 

I totally agree that you can't outrun your fork... not that I've ever enjoyed running anyway. Yuck. LOL I track my foods with an app. I'm eating more protein, fiber, produce, and good fats, and less refined carbs, sugar, packaged crap, and bad fats. So yes, in the absence of being able to exercise much, I have focused on nutrition and fluid intake.

 

And thanks so much for the sleep information. I've done a lot of research about that too, and am working on it. One of my upcoming quests is to go lights out by 11 pm every night (23:00 to you, LOL). After that, I might whittle it down to 10 pm (23:00), but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I have adrenal gland issues, which mess up cortisol production (i.e. too little cortisol to wake you up in the morning, and too much to allow you to sleep well at night), so it's not only a matter of good sleep hygiene (like no blue light, no caffeine, etc.). I offer you a HUGE congrats on getting your own sleep stuff worked out. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

 

I DO know about the 4-week challenges. I've opted to skip this month's because flexibility is actually the ONE thing I've got going for me. My physical therapist was amazed at how limber and stretchy I am. LOL

 

I've already created my character (Druid, for now), and am Level 4. And my Epic Quest has 15 items on it. I'm working on one of them as we speak.

 

I do NOT know what battle logs and guilds are.... Clue me in?

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post such a lengthy and helpful reply to me. I've noticed that you're very helpful in all of your posts, such a great ambassador! I'm endeavoring to do the same. Thanks for being a role model.

 

~Laurie

[Guzzi]

On 09/04/2017 at 10:08 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

Guzzi! You. Are. Fabulous! Thanks for the saga; I didn't mind it at all, because you took the time to address almost every one of my rants and whines. LOL

 

That's why they pay me the big bucks.  Oh, wait.... Doh!  

 

Nah, seriously I remember what it was like when I first joined and NOBODY commented on my intro, I had no idea about any of the challenges, guilds, battle logs...  I was totally lost and tbh I drifted away pretty soon after I joined.  Thankfully I found my way back, but I think it's important for people who have been here a while to lend a hand to those who have just joined up.  After all, you scratch my butt...  

 

On 09/04/2017 at 10:08 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

As far as exercising, I'm starting small for two obvious reasons: first, the ACL, and second, it's a helluva lot easier for to develop a new 10-15-minute habit than a 30-60-minute one! My next goal/quest is to do a wee 10-minute wake-up yoga routine. Soon thereafter, I will add in a short bodyweight workout. For both things, I just avoid or adjust the moves that would stress my knee. AND, I can probably start taking short walks very soon! Believe me, short walks will have me out of breath because I'm still a smoker. (Yes, that is on the quest agenda as well, so shhh!)

 

I totally agree that you can't outrun your fork... not that I've ever enjoyed running anyway. Yuck. LOL I track my foods with an app. I'm eating more protein, fiber, produce, and good fats, and less refined carbs, sugar, packaged crap, and bad fats. So yes, in the absence of being able to exercise much, I have focused on nutrition and fluid intake.

 

And thanks so much for the sleep information. I've done a lot of research about that too, and am working on it. One of my upcoming quests is to go lights out by 11 pm every night (23:00 to you, LOL). After that, I might whittle it down to 10 pm (23:00), but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I have adrenal gland issues, which mess up cortisol production (i.e. too little cortisol to wake you up in the morning, and too much to allow you to sleep well at night), so it's not only a matter of good sleep hygiene (like no blue light, no caffeine, etc.). I offer you a HUGE congrats on getting your own sleep stuff worked out. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

 

Wow!  You really have been doing your research.  I'm impressed!  It looks like you've got a solid plan for going forward and you're starting off by making small, sustainable changes.  I think that's fantastic!

 

And "wee"?  I'm guessing you're not Scottish because you said something about $$$'s...  Canadian maybe?

 

On 09/04/2017 at 10:08 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

I DO know about the 4-week challenges. I've opted to skip this month's because flexibility is actually the ONE thing I've got going for me. My physical therapist was amazed at how limber and stretchy I am. LOL

 

I've already created my character (Druid, for now), and am Level 4. And my Epic Quest has 15 items on it. I'm working on one of them as we speak.

 

I do NOT know what battle logs and guilds are.... Clue me in?

 

The battle logs are a basically just your own thread to track your progress over a longer period of time than a single challenge.  You can use them as somewhere to post your progress pictures (if you haven't already taken progress pics then do it, doooooo iiiiiittt!  You don't have to show them to anyone but honestly there will come a day when you wish you had pics to show how far you've come.)  or somewhere to record your workouts (so that you can see your progression) or even just use it as your own little doodle pad.  It's totally up to you.

 

The battle logs are in the Rebellion Headquarters section. 

 

The Guilds are those badges you see underneath someone's profile picture, the Warriors, Scouts, Adventurers etc.  If you've already picked the Druids then that's your guild. 

 

It's how they separate the different sports/fitness specialities for the challenges, so that people are together with others with similar interests.   There's a good explanation of it here, just in case you want to read it, and you just edit your profile to say which guild you want to be.  (You might have done that already, I can't see that stuff coz I'm on the mobile site) 

 

You can chop and choose which guild you are in, and if you don't want post your challenge in a particular guild then you can post your challenge thread in the Rebels section. 

 

On 09/04/2017 at 10:08 PM, Lovejoy444 said:

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post such a lengthy and helpful reply to me. I've noticed that you're very helpful in all of your posts, such a great ambassador! I'm endeavoring to do the same. Thanks for being a role model.

 

~Laurie

 

Eeeeek!  A compliment!  Run away, run away!

 

**Right, ok.  Compose yourself Guzz**

Thank you, that's such a nice thing to say!  And yeah, I noticed you were being very helpful and encouraging yourself, so right back at ya lady.  

[Lovejoy444]

Well, I just love you. It's totally official. LOL And I'm not Canadian. I'm American (West Virginia), but I've loved all things U.K. for 35-40 years. One day I'd like to visit you guys! I also read a lot of fantasy lit, which often leans "old country" in many ways, including speech/dialogue. =)

 

I'm super tired right now, so this will not be a saga of any kind, but I wanted to respond before I forgot. The things you're calling "guilds" I thought were just called "character classes," so.... In that case, yes, I've already read about all the guilds! LOL I do wish, though, that I could pick and choose individual challenges that are important to/relevant for me from all the classes. I know I can switch "guilds" any time I want, but I'd love to kind of build my own, if you know what I mean. But no worries. I'll get healthy one way or another!

 

Are the battle logs just a forum thread you create, which others can respond to like any other thread? I wouldn't mind doing that to keep track of things for myself, though I'm not always interested in what others have to say, and don't necessarily require outside encouragement. LOL I guess that sounded really rude... I mean, I appreciate when others take time out of their lives to respond to me, but I don't really need it unless I'm asking a question or whining a bit, and actually requesting support, ya know? (Yeah... I'm not sure that sounded much better than the first way I put it! ) In any case, I'll see if I can find the Rebellion Headquarters section you mentioned.

 

I have to say that, being an old RPGer, I'm stupid-motivated by the quests. They are much more motivating than any other system I've come across. I love being a nerd. Actually, I think today is the final day of my drink-at-least-64-ounces-for-7-days-straight quest, which I'm super proud of. Gonna up the ante a bit each week in the coming months.

 

...God, my brain's just stopping mid-thought now. I gotta get going, go veg, read some "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" before I go to sleep. Thanks for being you, Guzzi!

 

=)

Laurie

[juliebarkley]

16 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

 I do wish, though, that I could pick and choose individual challenges that are important to/relevant for me from all the classes. I know I can switch "guilds" any time I want, but I'd love to kind of build my own, if you know what I mean. But no worries. I'll get healthy one way or another!

 

But you can! If you're talking about the premade quests on the NF site, you can so any of them - the character class is more of a sorting system to keep similar challenges together. If you mean a 4-week challenge you can do whatever you want for those. There are plenty of non-druids who have meditation in their challenge, for example. You kind of have to pick a guild, but it's up to you what you do in the guild and what it means to you.

[Guzzi]

Hgg

19 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

Well, I just love you. It's totally official. LOL

 

Oh shucks...  .  Now, when you say "official" does that mean I get a ring?  I don't need anything fancy but a pretty design would be nice.  

 

19 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

And I'm not Canadian. I'm American (West Virginia), but I've loved all things U.K. for 35-40 years. One day I'd like to visit you guys! I also read a lot of fantasy lit, which often leans "old country" in many ways, including speech/dialogue. =)

 

This does explain it.  You should hear the Shetland dialect, it's sooooo cool!  This is a nice short vid to give you an idea of it. 

 

19 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

I'm super tired right now, so this will not be a saga of any kind, but I wanted to respond before I forgot. The things you're calling "guilds" I thought were just called "character classes," so.... In that case, yes, I've already read about all the guilds! LOL I do wish, though, that I could pick and choose individual challenges that are important to/relevant for me from all the classes. I know I can switch "guilds" any time I want, but I'd love to kind of build my own, if you know what I mean. But no worries. I'll get healthy one way or another!

 

2 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

 

But you can! If you're talking about the premade quests on the NF site, you can so any of them - the character class is more of a sorting system to keep similar challenges together. If you mean a 4-week challenge you can do whatever you want for those. There are plenty of non-druids who have meditation in their challenge, for example. You kind of have to pick a guild, but it's up to you what you do in the guild and what it means to you.

 

^^What she said. 

 

Have you signed up to the academy, could that be why you've got pre-set quests?  Or I wonder if that's part of the  Create Your Caracter thingy where you can "level up" after doing so many quests?  Can you tell that I do bugger all of that stuff, lol!  I just hang around the forum talking shite most days.  

 

Anyways, the 4 Week Challange goals are set by you and can be whatever you like.  One of my challenges I had these 3 goals:

 

1.  Drink 1.5L of water each day

2.  Lights out by 10:30 each night

3.  Do my physio exercises daily

 

But at other times I've had completely different goals involving diet and exercise.  I once had a goal to eat something green with every meal (I was iron deficient at the time, lol!) another time I had to write something that made me smile or I was grateful for each day, and once I had to do 100 push-ups a day.  It's totally up to you.  Why not have a look around the current Challenge threads to get some ideas. 

 

You can make your challenge thread as simple or as involved as you like.  You can go the whole hog and write a story featuring your character on his/her journey, or you can just write "my goals are..." 

 

There's a LOT going on in this forum, and you're not the only one who has struggled to navigate it all (in fact you've done better than most) and you won't be the last.  Of course I found it all perfectly easy, and anyone who tells you that I'd been on here for over a year without figuring out the challenges is a liar, ok?  

 

19 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

Are the battle logs just a forum thread you create, which others can respond to like any other thread? I wouldn't mind doing that to keep track of things for myself, though I'm not always interested in what others have to say, and don't necessarily require outside encouragement. LOL I guess that sounded really rude... I mean, I appreciate when others take time out of their lives to respond to me, but I don't really need it unless I'm asking a question or whining a bit, and actually requesting support, ya know? (Yeah... I'm not sure that sounded much better than the first way I put it! ) In any case, I'll see if I can find the Rebellion Headquarters section you mentioned.

 

You got it in one.  Anyone can respond, though you're not so likely to get random people dropping by to comment on it.  Usually it's just your friends that would look at it.  Unless you have a stalker, in which case you're screwed.  

 

 

19 hours ago, Lovejoy444 said:

I have to say that, being an old RPGer, I'm stupid-motivated by the quests. They are much more motivating than any other system I've come across. I love being a nerd. Actually, I think today is the final day of my drink-at-least-64-ounces-for-7-days-straight quest, which I'm super proud of. Gonna up the ante a bit each week in the coming months.

 

Way to go you!  Did you notice any difference?  Apart from the peeing more frequently thing that is.  

 

I totally get you about the quests being great motivation, you would not believe the things I've done 20 mins before bed just so I can tick a box to say I've done it that day.  11pm and no workout done = no problem.  10:15pm and need to be in bed by 10:30 = time to pee, take clothes off, and brush your hair all at once. 

 

Yeah, I am that sad.  Unfortunately. 

 

Anyhoo, here's a link to the current 4 Week Challange and here's the Battle Log sub forum.  You can have a poke around and snoop on anyone that takes your fancy.  God, that sounded a little like high school, huh?